Swire announced its continued commitment to the HK Phil as
Principal Patron for another three years at
Swire Symphony Under The Stars outdoor concert on 11 November 2017
12 NOV 2017
Hong Kong
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Meggy Cheng
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Tel: (852) 2721 9035
Email: meggy.cheng@hkphil.org
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[12 November 2017, Hong Kong] At the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra's (HK Phil) annual outdoor symphonic extravaganza - Swire Symphony Under The Stars - on 11 November 2017 (Saturday) at Central Harbourfront, the Swire Group announced the renewal of its commitment to the HK Phil as Principal Patron for another three years from April 2018, with a grant of HK$46.4 million.
Swire has been Principal Patron of the HK Phil since 2006. The new grant of HK$46.4 million will be the biggest corporate donation in the Orchestra’s history, and will take the Group’s contribution over the years to more than HK$200 million. Swire’s patronage will enable HK Phil to pursue its mission to promote artistic excellence, foster access to classical music and enhance Hong Kong’s standing as one of the world’s greatest cities.
Mr John Slosar, Chairman of Swire Pacific Limited, said, "Swire has had the privilege of being the principal patron of this highly talented orchestra since 2006. And tonight, it gives me great pleasure to announce that we are extending our sponsorship for another three years, bringing our total support to more than HK$200 million to date. It is an honour to partner with these exceptional musicians and we look forward to what the future holds."
Mr Y.S. Liu, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the HK Phil, said, “We sincerely thank Swire Group for its generous support over the years and expect to continue our close collaboration to promote the arts in Hong Kong.”
We are honoured to have Secretary for Home Affairs Mr Lau Kong-wah present for the ceremony.
Mr Lau said, “Swire Symphony Under The Stars is among the most popular concerts of the Orchestra and it has become the highlight of the music calendar in Hong Kong. It is even more special this year as the concert is part of the celebration programmes of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.”
After the ceremony, with Hong Kong's dazzling city skyline as backdrop, the HK Phil presented a magical evening of orchestral music on both sides of the spectacular Victoria Harbour. The main arena Central Harbourfront was joined by the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza through a live relay attracting an audience of close to 20 thousand, sharing a glorious evening with great music performed by the HK Phil and local music prodigies.
M.C. of the event, Harry Wong, welcomed Principal Guest Conductor Yu Long to the stage, and the Orchestra opened the programme with Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March, followed by popular favourites from Mozart and Handel and the successful performance of Chan Kai-young's Climbing to the Light. Young local pianist Johnson Li dazzled the audience with Chopin's Grande Polonaise brillante. Another local prodigy, violinist Paloma So, took the stage with Waxman's Carmen Fantasy. The concert was brought to a rousing conclusion with an encore - Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture - accompanied by a stunning firework display in the night sky.
The HK Phil wishes to express its deepest gratitude for the generous and continued support of Swire, as well as to Hong Kong's music lovers who have helped make Swire Symphony Under The Stars such a hugely popular event throughout the Hong Kong community. HK Phil will continue to spread the joy of classical music outside the concert halls. It will reach far beyond the people who attended tonight; the event was recorded by RTHK TV and RTHK Radio 4 for subsequent broadcast.
TV Broadcast
The audio-visual recording will be broadcasted on Arts on Air TV program on 27th Jan 2018 (Sat) at 11pm.
Channels: RTHK TV31, RTHK TV31A & tv.rthk.hk
Radio Broadcast
Live relay was broadcasted live on 11 Nov 2017. A repeat broadcast is scheduled for 16th Nov 2017 (Thu) at 2pm on RTHK Radio 4 (FM Stereo 97.6-98.9 MHz and www.rthk.hk).
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Principal Patron: SWIRE
Sponsor: Tom Lee Music
Media Partner: RTHK Television Division, RTHK Radio 4 & RTHK TV31
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Music Director: Jaap van Zweden
Principal Guest Conductor: Yu Long
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is recognised as Asia’s foremost classical orchestra. Presenting more than 150 concerts over a 44-week season, the HK Phil attracts more than 200,000 music lovers annually.
Jaap van Zweden, one of today’s most sought-after conductors, has been the orchestra’s Music Director since the 2012/13 concert season. Maestro van Zweden will be the next Music Director of the New York Philharmonic from the 2018/19 season. Yu Long was appointed Principal Guest Conductor with the HK Phil for a three-year period commencing with the 2015/16 season.
Under the dynamic leadership of Music Director Jaap van Zweden, the HK Phil has attained new heights of artistic excellence, garnering international critical acclaim. Following on from the success of the European tour, the HK Phil has toured extensively within mainland China. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, and with support of the HKETOs, the orchestra recently performed in Seoul, Osaka, Singapore, Melbourne and at the Sydney Opera House.
Jaap, the HK Phil, and a superb casts of soloists, have presented concert performances and recordings of the first three operas from Richard Wagner’s epic Ring cycle. These have been enthusiastically endorsed by both audiences and critics at home and abroad. In January 2018 the HK Phil will present the final chapter of the Ring Cycle—Götterdämmerung.
Thanks to a significant subsidy from the Hong Kong Government and long-term funding from Principal Patron Swire, the Hong Kong Jockey Club and other supporters, the HK Phil now boasts a full-time annual schedule of classical music concerts, pops concerts, extensive education and community programmes, and collaborations with, among others, Opera Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. The Swire Group has been the Principal Patron of the HK Phil since 2006.
Originally called the Sino-British Orchestra, it was renamed the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 1957 and became fully professional in 1974. The HK Phil is a registered charitable organisation.
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and is Venue Partner of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
SWIRE is the Principal Patron of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.